News of a simple act of
kindness on a New York subway has gone around the world. A young black man,
head covered by a hooded sweatshirt, fell asleep on the shoulder of an older Jewish
passenger, whom the media identified as Isaac Thiel. When Mr. Theil let the
sleepy stranger take a little catnap on his shoulder, he said it was because, “I
simply remembered the times my own head would bop on someone’s shoulder because
I was so tired after a long day.”
Another subway rider was
so struck by Theil's nonchalant empathy that he snapped a picture and posted it
to Facebook with the caption, “Heading home on the Q train yesterday when this
young black guy nods off on the shoulder of a Jewish man. The man doesn't move
a muscle, just lets him stay there. After a minute, I asked the man if he
wanted me to wake the kid up, but he shook his head and responded, ‘He must
have had a long day, let him sleep. We've all been there, right?’”[1]
“The greatest thing a man
can do for a Heavenly Father,” said Henry Drummond, “is to be kind to some of
His other children.” And Frederick William Faber commented, “Kindness has
converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.” Someone else has
suggested that “If you want to surprise someone these days just be kind to
them.” Interesting don’t you think? Kindness isn't something we expect from
others or ourselves anymore. Just think for a moment, when was the last time
someone held the door open for you? What about a simple “Thank You” to the
cashier or bag boy? What about picking up a piece of trash in the parking lot
that wasn’t yours?
Paul lists kindness among
the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Kindness could take the form anything
from good manners, to offering your seat to someone standing up in a crowded
place, or to putting coins in someone’s expired parking meter. If you catch the
fever, kindness can be a lot of fun because you never know what opportunities
may pop-up where you can surprise someone with a helping of grace.
In Ephesians 4:32 we read,
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you.” In Colossians 3:12 we are to be “clothed in kindness,”
among other things. Moreover, we are told in 1 Cor. 13:4 that, “love is kind.”
Of course, Jesus is the
ultimate example of the kindness that makes us stop and take note. He was kind
enough to save a Jewish family from embarrassment by not letting the wine run
out at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-12). He was kind enough to eat lunch with Zacchaeus,
a con-artist tax collector that everyone hated (Luke 19:1-9). He was kind enough
to make time for rambunctious children (Mark 10:16) and kind enough to
acknowledge a woman who’d been a twelve year outcast because of her disease
(Mark 5:25-34).
Max Lucado has pointed
out, “The kindness of Jesus. We are quick to think of His power, His passion
and His devotion. But those near Him knew and know God comes cloaked in
kindness. Kind enough to care about a faux pas. Kind enough to have lunch with
a crook. Kind enough to bless a suffering sister. Why? Because love is kind.”[2]
Being kind is a risk, we
could be misunderstood or taken advantage of, but it is worth it. When we take
the time to help someone else we're allowing God to work through us. Who knows
the ripple effect our kind acts will cause! Imagine what a kindness revolution
could do?
[1]
Yasmine Hafiz, “Sleeping Stranger Subway Picture On Q Train Defines Empathy And
Is A Lesson In Being Good,” Huffington
Post Religion, 6 November 2013 < http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/sleeping-stranger-subway-picture_n_4228826.html>
[2]
Max Lucado, A Love Worth Giving (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2002), 26.
